Written Answers

Wednesday 10 May 2000

Scottish Executive

Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has consulted the Lands Tribunal for Scotland in relation to the potential impact upon its workload of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill and what measures it will consider to address any expected increase in the Tribunal’s workload.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive consulted the President of the Lands Tribunal for Scotland at an early stage of its proposals for abolition of feudal tenure in relation to the potential impact upon the workload of the Tribunal. Although there are unlikely to be significant demands made of the Tribunal, Ministers will monitor the situation closely.

Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications under section 19 of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill it estimates will be made to the Lands Tribunal for Scotland in each of the five years immediately following commencement of this provision.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the Financial Memorandum published with the Bill.

Adoption

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the current legislation on adoption.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No.

Air Services

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were applied in the decision to award the contract to operate the Glasgow–Tiree and Glasgow–Campbeltown air services.

Sarah Boyack: The mandatory criteria used in the award of the contract for the provision of the air service between Glasgow and Campbeltown/Tiree were as follows:

  financial capability of bidders;

  ability to meet operational requirements;

  compliance with regulatory and safety regime;

  compliance with Public Service Obligation Specification; and

  acceptance of Terms and Conditions of Contract.

Air Services

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all operators who submitted bids to operate the Glasgow–Tiree and Glasgow–Campbeltown air services, highlighting those bids which entailed the use of Twin Otter aircraft.

Sarah Boyack: The names of the operators who submitted bids for the provision of the air service between Glasgow and Campbeltown/Tiree are commercially confidential. Two of the bids received entailed the use of the Twin Otter aircraft.

Air Services

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times Loganair have cancelled flights to Tiree since November 1999 and how often the company has been penalised as a result of these cancellations.

Sarah Boyack: Of the 154 flights planned on the Glasgow-Tiree route between 1 November 1999 and 29 April 2000, 12 were cancelled due to the weather and two due to technical problems. A penalty was imposed on Loganair to reflect the level of flight cancellations in the period April 1999 to March 2000 for reasons within the operator’s responsibility. This penalty related to Loganair’s performance on all of the Scottish Executive’s supported air services.

Air Services

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to monitor Loganair’s performance in fulfilling its contractual obligations and to outline what sanctions are in place should the company fail to meet these obligations.

Sarah Boyack: Loganair’s performance in fulfilling its contractual obligations for the provision of the air service between Glasgow and Campbeltown/Tiree is monitored on a continual basis by the Scottish Executive. The Conditions of Contract provide the Executive with the ability to withhold financial payments from the operator for the non-provision of the service for reasons within its responsibility.

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what are the criteria for the tendering process for Lifeline Services to the Highlands and Islands and, in particular, what is the specification intimated in respect of airports to be used.

Sarah Boyack: The procedures for the tendering process for lifeline air services are set out in EC Regulation 2408/92. The routes and airports used by lifeline air services are required to be specified in the Public Service Obligations imposed under the regulation.

Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of care leavers go into further and higher education and what plans it has to increase this number.

Mr Sam Galbraith: It is estimated that fewer than 20% of young people who have been looked after by local authorities go into further and higher education.

  Improving educational achievements for this vulnerable group of young people is one of our priorities in developing a strategic framework for Children’s Services. Our social justice targets also include a commitment that all young people leaving care will achieve at least standard grades in Mathematics and English by 2003.

Education

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many qualified specialist teachers of visually impaired pupils are employed in mainstream education in each local authority.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Figures for each local authority cannot be given due to the limited data available. The latest information however shows that, as at September 1998, there were an estimated 33 full-time equivalent (FTE) publicly funded teachers in the pre-school, primary and secondary sectors who held a specialist qualification for teaching visually impaired pupils in Scotland.

Fisheries

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it took into account in reaching its decision to adopt its policy of not compensating for losses arising from fish diseases, and when that decision was taken.

Mr John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive has considered this matter very carefully. It has taken into account the nature of the disease, its obligations under UK and EC legislation, the potential read over effect for other animal and plant diseases and the socio-economic implications for the areas in which the affected farms are situated. It has also had regard to the policy adopted in other fish disease cases in recent years. The issue generally has consumed a great deal of time and effort since the Executive came into being on 1 July 1999.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether two fishing nets joined together by whatever means, be it shackle, length of rope or piece of netting, still constitute two nets and must therefore be rigged with 100mm mesh size, or whether two nets thus joined become a single net and may therefore be rigged with 70mm mesh size and, if the latter, whether such a practice is in line with conservation guidelines.

Mr John Home Robertson: The Executive is currently working to develop a suitable definition that will clarify whether a trawl shall be considered to be a single trawl or a multiple trawl so that fishermen know which size of mesh must be used in the cod end of the net. The Executive will issue this definition as soon as practicable, either as formal guidance or in forthcoming legislation. It is the intention of the Executive that any definition so issued should assist the aims of conservation.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which bodies or organisations in Scotland carry out research into the condition myalgic encephalomyelitis and what level of funding they receive from it.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) has responsibility within The Scottish Executive Health Department for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland. Although CSO is not directly funding research into myalgic encephalomyelitis at present, they would be pleased to receive research applications.

  CSO supports research indirectly through its allocation of some £30 million annually to the NHS in Scotland.

  We are aware of eight research projects on myalgic encephalomyelitis which are either taking place or have recently been completed in Scotland. Details of these are available on the National Research Register (NRR), a copy of which is in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many colorimeters are available within the health service and what are their locations.

Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of Meares-Irlen syndrome have been diagnosed in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive does not collect information about the incidence of Meares-Irlen syndrome, nor does the NHS. Statistics on this condition are not collected separately from other related visual disorders.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current caseload is per orthoptist in each health board.

Susan Deacon: The tables below show the available information on (a) patient attendances and (b) orthoptists, but the two tables are not directly comparable and should therefore be interpreted with caution.

  Numbers of attendances of patients seen by orthoptists by health board area for financial year 1998-99 are shown in Table 1.

  The number of orthoptists employed in the NHS in each of the health boards in Scotland is shown in Table 2. This table shows the number and whole time equivalent employed at 30 September 1998. This data only includes staff in post at the time of the census and does not take into account any vacancies that existed at this point in time. Therefore, it may not represent staffing levels present throughout the financial year. For this reason this data, when related to throughput of patients, cannot be used to provide a robust comparison of workload per orthoptist in each health board.

  Table 1

  NHSiS – Orthoptist Activity; by Health Board Area of Treatment: Year Ending 31 March 1999

  

 

New patients
  

Total attendances
  



Scotland
  

27,909
  

112, 063
  



Ayrshire and Arran
  

1,970
  

10,656
  



Borders
  

814
  

2,077
  



Argyll & Clyde
  

4,009
  

12,439
  



Fife
  

1,434
  

5,448
  



Greater Glasgow
  

5,526
  

18,199
  



Highland
  

1,218
  

6,439
  



Lanarkshire
  

2,476
  

10,770
  



Grampian
  

1,290
  

9,576
  



Orkney
  

-
  

199
  



Lothian
  

2,948
  

11,278
  



Tayside
  

2,595
  

11,116
  



Forth Valley
  

1,161
  

7,278
  



Western Isles
  

43
  

356
  



Dumfries & Galloway
  

2,425
  

6,232
  



Shetland
  

-
  

-
  



  Source: ISD Scotland (Form ISD(S)1).

  Table 2

  Orthoptists Employed in the NHS in Scotland by Health Board

  Headcount and Whole Time Equivalent: at 30 September 1998

  

 

Number
  

WTE
  



Scotland
  

94
  

68.6
  



Ayrshire and Arran
  

8
  

7.0
  



Borders
  

3
  

1.3
  



Argyll & Clyde
  

7
  

6.1
  



Fife
  

5
  

3.9
  



Greater Glasgow
  

24
  

15.4
  



Highland
  

4
  

4.0
  



Lanarkshire
  

9
  

5.5
  



Grampian
  

8
  

6.6
  



Orkney
  

-
  

-
  



Lothian
  

8
  

5.5
  



Tayside
  

8
  

7.8
  



Forth Valley
  

5
  

2.7
  



Western Isles
  

-
  

-
  



Dumfries & Galloway
  

5
  

2.9
  



Shetland
  

-
  

-
  



  Source: National Manpower Statistics from payroll, ISD Scotland.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the provision of orthoptic education as a result of the projected closure of the current degree course at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has written recently to a number of Scottish Universities, including Glasgow Caledonian University, inviting them to consider launching a new course in orthoptics. We are awaiting replies.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has funded into Meares-Irlen syndrome and whether it proposes to fund any further research.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within The Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland. Although CSO has received no research proposals of a sufficiently high standard on Meares-Irlen syndrome (which is the term sometimes used to refer to the collection of symptoms and signs of visual fatigue when reading) and therefore does not directly fund research on this condition at present, they would be pleased to receive applications for research funding.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it requires NHS managers responsible for the management and maintenance of the NHS estate to hold a professional qualification in a construction or property discipline.

Susan Deacon: It is for each NHS Trust and health board as the employer to decide whether the appointment of NHS managers responsible for estates/property issues should hold a professional qualification in a construction or property discipline.

Justice

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5597 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 12 April 2000, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there were for the summary offence of unlawful eviction in each of the last ten years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The numbers of prosecutions and convictions which are identifiable under section 22 of the Rent (Scotland) Act 1984 are given in the table below. This covers unlawful eviction and harassment of occupiers. From 1989-95 there may have been a small number of additional cases not separately identified in the data held centrally.

  


 


1989
  

1990
  

1991
  

1992
  

1993
  

1994
  

1995
  

1996
  

1997
  

1998
  



Persons proceeded against
  

8
  

11
  

5
  

7
  

8
  

3
  

3
  

2
  

2
  

2
  



Persons with charge proved
  

7
  

9
  

3
  

4
  

4
  

1
  

2
  

1
  

1
  

2

Learning Difficulties

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the medical conditions which are classed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority as constituting "learning difficulties".

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what grounds the Scottish Qualifications Authority identifies medical conditions as constituting "learning difficulties".

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Qualifications Authority has no set list of specific medical conditions which constitute learning difficulties and the related special assessment arrangements. Candidates with a medical problem are treated on an individual basis according to the effects the problem has on the candidates’ ability to demonstrate their attainment in examinations.

Local Government

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are required to produce an annual estates strategy to indicate how they allocate resources to ensure that their estate complies with all statutory standards and is fit for purpose.

Mr Frank McAveety: No.

Local Government

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of local authority spending has been devoted to the maintenance of their estates, excluding housing stock, for each local authority in each financial year from 1996-97 to date.

Mr Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally.

Local Government

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total estate held by each local authority, excluding housing stock, currently complies with health and safety legislation and how this compares with the figures in each of the financial years from 1996-97 to 1999-2000.

Mr Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of each local authority to ensure that it complies with the relevant health and safety legislation.

Local Government

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total estate held by each local authority, excluding housing stock, is used in the performance of their statutory functions (e.g. education, libraries etc); what percentage of the estate held is not used for any such statutory function and how these figures compare with each of the financial years from 1996-97 to date.

Mr Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally.

Local Government Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why aggregate external finance for Glasgow in 2000-01 will be £830,045,000 compared to £830,547,000 in 1996-97 and what percentage reduction this represents in real terms.

Mr Jack McConnell: The aggregate external finance allocations to individual councils are calculated on a formula basis agreed following consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

  The figures quoted are not directly comparable due to agreed transfers to programmes outwith the main local government finance settlement (e.g. £106 million for rail services transferred to the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority from 1997-98).

Local Government Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why Glasgow City Council has received the thirtieth worst of the 32 external finance settlements over the years 1996-97 to 2000-01 inclusive and what impact this has had on the Glasgow economy.

Mr Jack McConnell: In each year since 1996-97, the City of Glasgow Council has received the highest aggregate external finance allocation per person of any mainland council in Scotland, reflecting the needs of its population and its role as an urban centre.

Local Government Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the aggregate external finance was for Argyll and Bute, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire Councils in 1996-97 and what it will be in 2000-01 in real terms.

Mr Jack McConnell: The aggregate external finance allocations for each of these years are shown in real terms in the following table. These are not directly comparable due to agreed transfers to programmes outwith the main local government finance settlement, with variable effects for individual councils.

  


Council
  

AEF
1996-97
  

AEF
2000-01*
  


 

£ million
  

£ million
  



Argyll & Bute
  

99.679
  

113.524
  



Inverclyde
  

101.850
  

101.017
  



North Lanarkshire
  

334.008
  

345.867
  



South Lanarkshire
  

302.247
  

313.719
  



West Dunbartonshire
  

114.890
  

112.855
  



  *Excludes allocations from £42 million undistributed Excellence Fund.

Medical Research

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the process involved in the appointment of the Director of the Nursing Research Initiative for Scotland; why the post has been downgraded from full-time to one week per month and what consultation process was involved in making that decision.

Susan Deacon: Glasgow Caledonian University is the host institution and principal grant-holder for the Nursing Research Initiative for Scotland (NRIS). When the founding Director retired, Glasgow Caledonian advertised for a full-time director on two separate occasions. Despite this, they were unable to recruit a suitable replacement and they therefore explored other ways to provide scientific leadership. As a result of a direct approach from Glasgow Caledonian to Stirling University, an agreement was reached to release Professor Niven on a part-time (one-third) basis to lead the Unit. The savings from this part-time arrangement will fund an additional NRIS post. These matters were all fully discussed with the Scottish Executive which approved the actions taken by Glasgow Caledonian.

Medical Research

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the reasoning behind the relocation of the Nursing Research Initiative for Scotland from Glasgow Caledonian University to the University of Stirling and the consultation process involved in that decision.

Susan Deacon: The principal grant-holder and host institution for NRIS is, and remains, Glasgow Caledonian University, and there has been no relocation from that institution. However the initiative had always been conceived as serving the whole of the nursing research community in Scotland. The arrangement whereby Professor Niven combines her professorial role at Stirling University with a part-time directorship at NRIS, (together with two NRIS posts to be based at Stirling), is evidence of the commitment to spreading expertise to a wider audience.

Medical Research

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the remit, aims and objectives of the Nursing Research Initiative for Scotland and how far the Unit is fulfilling each of these objectives.

Susan Deacon: NRIS was founded in 1994. It is one of seven research units which receives core funding from the Chief Scientist Office. The seven core funded units are diverse and cover areas including health economics, dental research, health services research, and research into behavioural change.

  The current remit of NRIS is to develop a high quality research programme which is useful and relevant to direct patient care; to provide a strong national focus for patient care research which is not provided by other organisations, and to involve nurses and other direct care staff as appropriate in its research.

  The Unit is formally reviewed on a four-year cycle, by a panel of independent experts chaired by the Chief Scientist. In November 1998, the review team concluded that the Unit had fulfilled its original remit and that funding for the Unit should therefore continue. The next review will take place at the end of 2002.

Medical Research

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the clinical research carried out by the Nursing Research Initiative for Scotland from its establishment to date.

Susan Deacon: Below is a list of the completed (C) and ongoing (O) research projects with a clinical component carried out by NRIS to date. (This represents about two thirds of the total output of NRIS; the remaining one third of projects provide the methodological underpinning for clinical research.) Projects still in the development stage have not been included.

  1. Survey of staff knowledge of Blood Pressure Measurement at the Victoria Infirmary and survey of Sphygmomanometers in the Medical Directorate at the Victoria Infirmary (C).

  2. Genital Chlamydia Infection in Primary Care (C).

  3. An Audit of Nursing Practice in relation to the Administration of Medicines (C).

  4. How to Rise After Falling (C).

  5. Review of Cardiac Rehabilitation in the UK (C).

  6. A Retrospective Study of the Abdominal Muscle Strength of Women who have undergone Breast Reconstruction with a TRAM or DIEP flap within the past four years (C).

  7. A study of the effectiveness of pelvic floor exercise teaching for women with urinary incontinence (O).

  8. Does Perineal Suturing following Childbirth make a difference? (O).

  9. Is a reduced pre-anaesthesia fasting time significant? (O).

  10. A Critical Pathway of Care for patients with MI: implications for Patient Care, Clinical Resources and Health Economics (O).

  11. A pilot study for a RCT of the use of the schedule for the evaluation of individual quality of life in alcohol counselling (O).

  12. Survey of Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients at Victoria Infirmary (O).

  13. Patient’s Memories of ICU (O).

  14. Assessing the User Defined Validity of Components of Outcome Measures in Acute Psychiatry (O).

  15. Nutritional Assessment in a HDU (O).

  16. Risk Assessment for Fallers in an Elderly Care Ward (O).

  17. Chronic Pain Clinics (C).

  18. Pain Relief for Those Dying at Home (O).

  19. Randomised Controlled Trial Investigating the Effect of Pre-operative Abdominal Exercise on the Post-operative Abdominal Muscle Strength of Women Undergoing Breast Reconstruction with a TRAM or DIEP flap (O).

  20. Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy and Falls in the Elderly (O).

  21. Assessment of CD-ROM based interactive Blood Pressure Measurement Training (O).

  22. Top Up Review: Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Risk Assessment (C).

  23. Exploratory Study: Health Visitor Assessment of Falls (O).

  24. Randomised Controlled Trial of Sitting versus Standing for Mammography (O).

  25. Community Nurses’ Attitudes and Perceived Barriers to the Use of Research Findings in Clinical Practice (C).

  26. The role of Nurses in Hypertension Care and Research (C).

  27. An Evaluation of the Impact of Employing Experienced Mental Health Nurses in A&E Departments without an on-site Psychiatric Service (O).

  28. Social Networks and Nursing Care of Mentally Disordered Elderly People in the Community (O).

  29. Factors affecting the professional esteem of health care professionals working care of the elderly (O).

  30. Fitness of Purpose of Single Registered or Qualified Midwives (O).

  31. Use of Nurse Practitioners in A&E (O).

  32. The impact of Nurse-led Assessment Clinics for Individual Patients prior to admission for surgery: Improving Hospital Efficiency and Promoting Holistic Patient Care (C).

  33. Development and Evaluation of an Open Learning Package for Practice Nurses in the Management of Hypertension and Reduction of Cardiovascular Risk factors (C).

  34. Nurse Practitioners and Patient Outcomes: A Review of Literature (O).

  35. Prevalence of Post-Operative Surgical Wound Infection in the Community – a Pilot Study (C).

  36. Stress and Quality of Life Among Carers of the Adult Learning Disabled: A Review of The Literature (C).

  37. Palliative Care Services: A review of the Literature (C).

  38. 12 Hour Shift: A Survey of Current Practice in Scotland (C).

  39. 12 Hour Shift: A Review of the Literature (C).

  40. The Sexual Health Sandyford Initiative (O).

  41. How Nurses Review Their Clinical Practice (O).

Multiple Sclerosis

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any new plans to aid multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers and to examine the prevalence of MS in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: The report of a working group set up to devise a Scottish Needs Assessment Programme for multiple sclerosis will be published this month. The report, which includes input from the Multiple Sclerosis Society, will assess the total needs of people with MS. It will provide health boards with valuable information which will help them to devise local strategies.

Multiple Sclerosis

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to increase numbers of physiotherapists dealing with multiple sclerosis patients.

Susan Deacon: It is for NHS Trusts to determine the number of physiotherapists required to meet the clinical needs of their patients and to recruit the appropriately qualified physiotherapists.

Multiple Sclerosis

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to investigate any variation in care standards in Scotland for multiple sclerosis patients.

Susan Deacon: The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland which was established on 1 April 1999 will be responsible for developing and running a national system of quality assurance in healthcare for the NHS in Scotland. Its work will be complemented by the Health Technology Board for Scotland, established on 1 April 2000, whose task is to develop and run a system to provide advice on clinical and cost effectiveness of new health technologies including drugs in Scotland.

  Both boards are independent and will set their own programmes, but I can say that the Health Technology Board will be reviewing the use of beta interferon in the treatment of MS as one of its first tasks.

Police

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6087 by Mr Jim Wallace on 26 April 2000, whether and how the complaints against senior police officers listed have been addressed.

Mr Jim Wallace: Complaints against senior police officers are dealt with by the police authority for the force concerned. Questions about how particular complaints have been handled should be addressed to the appropriate police authority.

Rape

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4714, to detail, by local authority area, what percentage of rape victims have their request to be examined by a female police surgeon granted and, of this percentage, what is the average distance travelled and time waited by these victims to receive attention in comparison with those who receive treatment from a male surgeon.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held by the Executive.

Rape

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the judge presiding over a rape trial states any conditions of release at the time of sentencing.

Mr Jim Wallace: We have no plans to change the current arrangements. It is for the courts to determine the sentence in any particular case. The Executive’s role is to ensure that the sentencer has a range of disposals available to ensure that offenders can be dealt with effectively. The law already provides for Scottish Ministers, in certain classes of case, to insert conditions in a prisoner’s release licence in accordance with recommendations of the Parole Board and, in other classes of case, after consultation with the board.

Roads

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to rename the M74 Carlisle to Glasgow as the M6 and, if so, when this will take place.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no such plans.

Schools

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to prevent any adverse effect on rural communities if the proposed closures by Argyll and Bute Council of Drumlemble Primary School in Campbeltown, Glassary Primary School in Kilmichael, Ulva Ferry Primary School on Mull, Newton Primary School on Islay, Toward Primary School and Bridge of Orchy Primary School go ahead.

Peter Peacock: When education authorities are proposing the closure of schools there is a statutory requirement for them to consult parents and school boards. They must take account of any representations received during the consultation period before reaching a decision on their proposals. The statutory consultation process ensures that local authorities, in preparing any school closure proposal, consider all relevant factors, including the impact on the local community.

Schools

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has and what action it intends to take to prevent Angus Council from closing St Vigeans Primary School following the recommendations contained in the recent joint report by the Directors of Education and Property Services to the Angus Council Education Committee.

Peter Peacock: I understand that, at this stage, Angus Council have the position of St Vigean’s Primary School under review, but that there is no formal proposal to close the school. If, after further consideration, they propose to close the school, there is a statutory requirement, which applies to all school closure proposals, for consultation with parents and school boards. The statutory consultation process ensures that there is an opportunity for those consulted to make their views known to the authority at the appropriate time.

  Decisions on school closures are generally for the local authorities, except in certain circumstances prescribed in statute where the consent of the Scottish Ministers is required. The main circumstances in which such consent is required are where the school concerned is more than 80% full, or where, in the case of a primary school, pupils would have to attend a different primary school which is 8.046720 kilometres (five miles) or more distant from the school proposed for closure. I have no information on whether such consent will be required in the event of a formal closure of St Vigean’s. Angus Council are aware of the relevant statutory requirements.

Scottish Flag

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that the dignity of the Saltire flag is upheld and how it will ensure that the correct background colour and proportions are displayed.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive believes that the dignity of the Saltire is best maintained by continuing high standards of production on the part of flagmakers. Statutory regulation would be inappropriate and enforcement impracticable - the colour and condition of flags flown outside, for example, is inevitably affected by exposure to weather and sunlight.

  The Scottish Executive ensure that flags flown from government buildings in Scotland are produced to a high standard and observe the necessary heraldic conventions.

Smoking

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has, further to the answer to question S1W-2234 by Susan Deacon on 19 January 2000, to educate people who smoke to look out for possible symptoms of lung cancer and seek medical help.

Susan Deacon: Information and advice on the effects of smoking, symptoms of lung cancer and where to seek medical help is readily available from a variety of sources including, for example, well women and well men clinics, Healthy Living Centres, GPs surgeries and hospitals.

  The message being conveyed to people who smoke stresses the importance of stopping smoking, eating healthily and attending for screening when invited. If and when any symptoms of lung cancer develop they should not ignore the symptoms and should seek early medical advice.

Telecommunications

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the benefits of Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line technology are available throughout Scotland.

Henry McLeish: This is initially a commercial decision for providers of telecommunications services. I understand that British Telecommunications PLC is providing access to ADSL in Edinburgh, Glasgow and parts of the central belt at the present time. Aberdeen will have access shortly.

  ADSL is just one technology allowing broadband access. The Executive is in discussions with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to ensure that rural and more remote areas will also have access to broadband.

Voluntary Sector

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the value of services presently provided by Councils of Voluntary Service throughout Scotland and how much funding it provides to Councils of Voluntary Service.

Jackie Baillie: Local Councils of Voluntary Service (CVS) provide a range of services, including advice and support, to voluntary organisations in their area and play a key role in the development of the voluntary sector. The Executive does not hold any information on the monetary value of the services provided by the CVS.

  The Scottish Executive provides direct funding of £1,067,145 to the CVS in 2000-01.

War Memorials

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to support the Hamilton Advertiser campaign in Lanarkshire to provide a memorial to the 15 men from Lanarkshire who won the Victoria Cross.

Mr Frank McAveety: War memorials are a constant reminder of the sacrifices made and bravery displayed by those people involved in active service for their country and therefore Scottish Ministers, collectively, are supportive of the local campaign to erect a memorial to the Lanarkshire men who were awarded the Victoria Cross. The Scottish Executive will offer what advice it can on progressing this matter but the cost of war memorials is not usually met from public funds, but from private donations or public subscription.

Water Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis has been made of the Water Commissioner’s performance to date, with particular regard to value for money.

Sarah Boyack: The Commissioner has been in post since 1 November 1999. His main activity has been the strategic review of charges, my response to which has been published. The Commissioner’s budget for 2000-01 reflects the resources needed for the Commissioner to carry out his role effectively, which will mean improved value for money for water customers. The Commissioner’s corporate plan will include performance indicators, providing a means to monitor his future performance.